5-3-17 Shoveler x 6, pochard x 2, little grebe x 1 (Sutton Hide), little egret x 2, water rail x 1, Mediterranean gull x 2 (East lake), black-headed gull x 325, lesser black-backed gull x 2, herring gull x 38, common gull x 17, sparrowhawk x 2, common snipe x 6, redwing x 10, siskin x 15, chiffchaff x 1, grey wagtail…
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Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
4-3-17 Grey heron x 1 (sitting on nest on North Lake), siskin x 15, reed bunting x 2, common snipe x 1. 3-3-17 Common snipe x 2, siskin x 50, reed bunting x 1 (Slingsby Hide). 25-2-2017 Water rail x 2, common snipe x 2, little egret x 3, siskin x 1, goldfinch x 15, redwing x 4, little grebe…
Oare Marshes
March 3 08:05-11:50 – cloudy, light rain at first and a moderate SE wind. Ducks on the east flood included five Gadwall, 20 Pintail, 21 Shoveler and 11Pochard whilst 36 Tufted Ducks had relocated to the west main dyke. A female Great Spotted Woodpecker paused briefly at the cottages before heading east and two adult Mediterranean Gulls flew SE over…
Oare Marshes
0830—1030 A cool SW breeze, but at least some half decent light in a cloudy sky. A slow walk, predominately round the E flood, although for starters the Little Owl gave good views from one of its favoured spots.On the E flood eight Gadwall were seemingly paired; a pair of Pochards increased to twelve, with several smart males appearing from the cover of reeds. c 30 Tufted…
Oare Marshes
1000—1300. A brisk W/NW was a tad eye-watering; but after yesterday`s blow it seemed pedestrian. A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers flew W , whilst Sheppey skyline was seemingly inundated with Lapwings; long ragged lines of ca. two thousand with c 150 Golden Plover separate in a tight wheeling flock .Marsh Harriers were active along the saltings and around Mocketts, and a couple of Buzzards were noted. In the…
Oare Marshes
0800–0930 Feeling masochistic, I thought I would test Doris`s wrath and the effect it was having on Oare`s birdlife. A 200 m battering to the seawall hide; composure and a hot coffee, provided the following. Lapwings were tossed in ragged lines, or facing the wind—crests parallel with the upper body—unsteady in the gusting violence; Black-tailed Godwits swept in low over the seawall; Avocets , startlingly black…
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
15-2-2017 Monthly transect Pheasant x 1 male (wild garden space), stock dove x 1, woodpigeon x 6, rose-ringed parakeet x 4, kingfisher x 2 (1 on West Lake and 1 on North Lake), green woodpecker x 1, great-spotted woodpecker x 3, grey wagtail x 1 (singing at the South western corner of the West Lake), pied wagtail x 2, wren…
Oare Marshes
0900—1115 A walk westward was a 2 hour `raptorial` bonanza. The sun provided some warmth against a fresh SE breeze. Scanning the low tide vista, it was apparent there was a lot of avian movement, with an immediate sight of 2 Buzzards; a female Marsh Harrier; a ring-tail Hen Harrier and Sparrowhawk all circling/skirmishing/chasing around Mocketts and Sheppey banks. The sunlight provided far better visability than…
Oare Marshes
0930–1215 A tad less numbing today at 3deg , but layers of murk borne on the NE air made it a still uncomfortable walk—westwards into TQ to Luddenham Gut. Waders hugged the shoreline as the tide rose ; a mix of Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover; Redshank and Curlew. c 400 Shelduck were in the lea of Harty marshes; 2 drakes and a duck Red-breasted Merganser were off Uplees and…
Oare Marshes
0815—1000 The registering plus 2 deg seemed significantly below that, in a cutting NE breeze and fine sleet showers. With the murk thrown in, it seemed daylight was unlikely to happen today, with the landscape forty shades of grey and merging with the Swale waters ! A female Marsh Harrier quartered the W side dykes ; a female Stonechat was…